Mechanism for processing meat products



F.- 1-1. Lvou'lsoT ET Al. MECHANYILSM FR PROCESSING MEAT PRODUCTS July 3o, 1940.

` Filed June 25, 1957 2 sheets-sheer 1 .wm Nw HN/hw.

July 3`o, 1940. F. H. LOUISOT Er A1. 2,209,824

MECHANISM FOR PROCESSING MEAT PRODUCTS Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M had; MQ f M00* ATTORNEYJ meat.

Patented July 30, 1.940

TENT

MECHANISM FOR. PROCESSING MEAT PRODUCTS' FelixH. Louisot and Charles J, Muller, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J.

Application June 25, 1937, Serial No. 150,240

7 claims. (o1. 17-32) This invention relates to means for preparing meat and fat products.

lIn the preparation of certain meats for cooking, it is customary to wrap a mass of flattened fat around the meat and to tie the fat in place with cord. The practice of butchers at the present time in obtaining the slabs needed for Wrapping around meat is to pound a lump of fat either with a meat cleaver or with a woodenmallet until the desired thickness is obtained. Such pounding naturally results in a more or less irregularmass or slab of fat which is seldom of uniform thickness o-r Width so that difficulty is experienced in wrapping the ,slab around the The fat, of course, is trimmed to t the meat and the trimmed parts used to ll in vacant spaces, with resultant loss of uniformity in the Wrapping and loss in appearance. With this present practice, only certain portions of the fat known as cod fat can be used, so that a consid-- erably quantity of fat such as trimmings, scraps, waste, etc. cannot be used for this or any other advantageous purpose.

The fundamental principles of the present invention have been disclosed in our copending application Serial No, 746,071, led September 29, 1934, now Patent No. 2,085,108,V dated June 29, 1937, for Meat products and means for and methods for producing the same, of which application this application is a continuation in part. l

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for shaping fat or other meat products into a strip of substantially uniform thickness and substantially uniform width.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shaping device which can be attached to a part of a conventional meat grinder, such shaping device consisting in part of a funnel having an outlet opening which is of substantially rectangular shape in cross-section.

A further object of the invention is to provide means within the funnel for causingthe bres` passing therethrough to be crossed lin the ultimate strip.

A still further object of the invention is t'provide in conjunction with a funnel, a passageway for meat products so shaped as to 'cause the meat4 products to assume a strip form, such passageway being constructed to permit the size thereof to be varied. i

In carrying out the invention and particularly in its relation to the processing of animal fat, the mechanism utilized consists of the usual conveyor screw of a meat grinding machine to the end of the casing of which is secured a truncated funnel ring leading into a 'partially tapered passageway;` The tapered part of the passageway is also flared outwardly and is in communication Witha portion of the passageway which is sub stantially rectangular when considered in crosssection. This passageway is made up ofa lower and an upper section, the lower section having a Hoor and upstanding side walls, while theupper section has a top and depending side walls.k Sections having depending side walls of varying di'- mensions can be utilized to change the height oi the passageway, and accordingly sections are preferably removably securedtothe funnel, so

iid

that they can be interchanged with other matched sections to vary the width as well as the height of the resultant strip. The funnel is provided with guiding ribs or vanes formed in the .upper and lower inner surfaces thereof and inclined in such direction that meat products passing through the funnel will be given opposite directional movement so that where the meat products are iibrous in nature the fibres in eifect will be. crossed in the iinished strip.

Provision `is made for attaching an inclined delivery' chute or slideway to a part'of the lower section, such chute forming a continuation of the path of travel of processed material.

In some instances, it will be `desirable to have the finished strip resting on waxedpaper, or other suitable paper, and for' this purpose an opening is provided in the lower section of the passageway through which a strip* of paper from a roll may pass. lThis paper is fed'under the emerging strip of meat products so that'as this strip passes along the extension of the lower section it rests upon the paper strip, and due tothe adhesion between the meat and the paper strip, the paper strip advances with the meat strip.

While the mechanism previouslyde'scribed has been designed primarily for the treatment of fat, it will be evident of course that other meat products can be processed thereby, and particularly ground meat products, such ashamburger meat, etc., can be processed with facility. The hamburger meat emerging from the shaping passageway can bel cut into suitable lengths and each sectionv will have an undercoating of'sanitary paper to vaid in the handling or preparation of meat for sandwiches.`

Other features, objects 'and advantages of the invention will become apparent bycreference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

wherein i Y Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken on v'the line I-I of Fig. 2 of mechanism for processing meat products;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the detachable chute:

Fig. 4 is an end view of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a ldetachable ller member.

Referring now to the drawings, IIJ indicates a cylindrical housing for the feed screw II of an ordinary meat chopping machine. The housing I0 has external threads I2 at one end thereof to be engaged by the threads of a retaining ring I4 which normally serves to hold chopping blades I3 and cooperating apertured plate I3` to the end of the housing.

Secured in the end of the housing I0 by means of the ring I4 is a funnel I5 illustrated in the drawings as being made in the form of a ringlike member with tapering inner walls. This funnel I5 fits against the plate I3' and is provided with a flange I6 engaged by the annular flange I'I of the retaining ring I4 to lock the funnel to the housing. The mouth of the funnel as shown clearly in Fig. 4 is substantially circular in cross-section, but the wall of the funnel tapers to provide a discharge opening of modied oval shape as shown in Fig. 4. The upper and lower inner surfaces of the funnel are provided with inclined ribs or vanes I8, the purpose of which will be explained in describing the operation of the device.

In communication with the funnel I5 is a passageway made up of upper member 2I and lower member 22. These members are so shaped that, when they are clamped together in a manner to be described later, they will provide an inlet to the passageway corresponding substantially to the shape of the outlet of funnel I5, but of slightly larger size. As will be seen from an inspection of the drawings the two members 2I and 22 are shaped to provide a complete encircling casing fitting around the end of the funnel I5. This funnel has a peripheral bead 24 which ts into annular recesses 25 and 25 in the respective members 2l and 22. If desired, the bead 25 may have a small notch 21 cut therein to receive a small lug 28 formed in the recess 26; these parts serving to properly register the assembled parts and to prevent relative rotation between.

the funnel and the parts 2| and 22.

The upper member 2| is so shaped as to pro.

vide a tapered inner wall 30 which is also ared outwardly into a flat surface 30' between the dotted lines 3I and 32 and extending to one end of member 2l. This flat surface as will be seen extends for approximately a third of the length of the member and a depending side wall 34 acts as a limiting wall therefor. The lower member 22 is similarly shaped having an inclined inner wall 35 extending into a flat surface 35', and having upstanding side walls` 36 cooperating with the walls 34 to provide in the outlet end of the device a channel which is of substantially rectangular shape in cross-section as indicated clearly at 38 in Fig. 4.

The lower member 22 is provided with outwardly extending ears 40 slotted for the reception of bolts 4I pivotally mounted therein. The

upper member 2l is provided with correspond# ing slotted ears 42. The bolts 4I can be swung into vertical position and the two members 2| and 22 locked together by wing nuts 44.

The side edges of the lower member 22 are extended beyond the end of the fiat surface 35 thereof as shown at and these extensions are spanned by a cross-bar 5I, the upper surface of which is spaced a slight distance below the surface of the flat part 35. 'This cross-bar is also spaced longitudinally from the end of the flat surface 35'. A notch 52 in the cross-bar serves to receive a stud 54 extending downwardly from a chute frame member 55. A wing nut 54 serves to lock the member 55 to the cross bar 5I. This frame member 55 is in the nature of a bar or plate of such thickness that when it is positioned on top of the cross-bar 5I the upper surface of the member 55 is substantially in alignment with the flat surface 35. It should be noted, however, that one lateral edge of the member 55 is beveled off as at 56 in such fashion .that a narrow slot exists between this member 55 and the end of member 22. The chute plate 55 has oppositely disposed extension bars 51 spanned byv cross-bars 58. A curved chute 59 of some suitable thin material (preferably metal) is secured to the top surfaces of the bars 58 and the top edges of the extensions 5'I. This chute 39 has upstanding side walls Bil, which may be flared out slightly as shown at 6I in Fig. 3.

Depending from the member 22 are a pair of oppositely disposed posts each having a threaded aperture 66 therein near the lower end thereof. These apertures serve to receive headed bolts 67, the ends of which are in the form of short pins 68 adapted to t in recesses 69 in a spool 'I0 on which paper 'II is rolled. Due to the positioning of these posts 65, it follows that the paper 'II can be fed from the roll through the slot between the surface 5B and the end of member 22 to pass over the top of the chute plate 55 to receive meat products as they emerge from the shaping passageway formed by the members 2| and 22.

In the event it is desired to reduce the width of shaping passageway use may be made of one or two ller members indicated generally at 15. Each member is in the form of a bar 'I6 having one end tapered as at 'I'I. Formed integrally with the bar 'I6 is a bar I8 arranged in parallelism to the bar 'I6 and joined thereto by a short connection 19. A threaded aperture is provided in the bar 'I8 for the passage of a headed bolt 80 which serves to lock the filler in place with the bar 'I6 inserted in the shaping passageway and with the bar 'I8 positioned above the top of the surface of the upper member 2|. Two such llers have been shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. For convenience in handling, upper member 2I which may be made in different sizes, this member is provided with a handle portion indicated at A.

The use and operation of the device is substantially as follows: When it is desired to produce strips of fat for wrapping around meat to be cooked, any of the fat, and particularly that fat known in the art as cod fat, trimmings, scraps, and waste is fed to the feed screw of the machine in the usual fashion. The fat may be in lumps, strips, or in any other shape. If desired the cutter I3 and plate I3 may be omitted while fat is being processed. The feed screw in'pushing the fat through the housing I0 works the separate pieces into a more or less homogeneous mass. The screw finally pushes the mass into the funnel, and, as is usual in these types of devices, the mass travels'more or less in a straight line with very little rotary movement. As the result of being forced into the funnel, the

mass of vfat is in eifect extruded therefrom through the outlet opening. As this mass Amoves through the funnel the guiding vanes or ribs I8 serve to impart. cross directional movementto the upper and lower parts ofthe mass so that. in effect the upper part of the fat passing through the outlet is crossed over' the lower part. Since animal fat is iibrous by nature, the result will be that the iibres will more or less be crossed', aiding in holding the strip together. In fact, in practice, it has been found that the absence of the inclined guiding ribs or vaneszresults in a much inferior product. When lthe fat passes through the outlet opening of the'funnel it immediately enters the shaping passageway defined by the upper and. lower members 2i and 22, and expands to fill this passageway, which, in almo-st its entirety, is wider than the funnel, filling the passageway, after which it is forced through and out of this passageway.

The fat emerging from the passageway is in the nature of a strip of substantially uniform width and substantially uniform thickness in which the iibres are crossed from top to bottom, as set forth in our copending application before identified.

If desired the emerging strip of fat may be provided with an underlayer of paper fed from the roll 1B through the opening before described. 'Ihe strip of fat either with or without the paper underlayer slides over the end of the bottom member of the shaping passageway onto the chute or slideway 59. This strip may be permitted to continue indefinitely or may cut off any desired lengths by means of any suitable knife.

The strip so processed has been found in pracprocessing of fat, since other meat products can be worked with facility. For example, ground meat products, such as hamburger meat, etc., may be fed through the funnel by the feed screw in the same manner and with the same results, namely, that a strip of ground meat will emerge from the shaping passageway and will be delivered to the slideway. If the meat is being prepared for sandwiches, suitable lengths of the strip can be cut off as the strip passes onto the slideway. For longer lengths, the paper may be marked to indicate desired dimensions. In this phase of the invention, particularly preparing meat for sandwiches, the provision of the sanitary paper to underlie each section of the strip is of importance, since such underlayer of paper cut oii simultaneously with the section of the strip permits the meat to be handled without the hands of the preparer actually touching the same.

While the shaping passageway has been illustrated as being of greater width than that of the funnel, it will be apparent that thisv passageway may have the same width or if desired may even have a narrower width. The width can be varied by removing the two sections of this shaping passageway and substituting therefor two other matched sections of the desired width. Also fillers l5 may be utilized to decrease the width of the passageway if desired. in the event it is desired to change' the thickness of the resultant strip, such change may be accomplishedr by removing the top member of the passageway and substituting therefor another member which has shorter side walls 315, which in turn cause the top of thisl member to be closer to the bottom of the lower member.,` Various combinations of matched parts of the passageway may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides new mechanism for processing fat and meat products. The invention is capable of modification, in view of which it is not to be limited by the illustrated embodimentbut is to be limitedv only by the scope of the following claims.

rWe claim: Y v

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tapered-wall funnel leading into a passageway having a restricted outlet substantially rectangular in cross section, mechanism for feeding a mass of meat to the inlet end of said funnel, said funnel being provided with internal substantially longitudinally extending upper and lower series of slightly longitudinally inclined vanes for imparting directional effects to the meat passing through the funnel and for crossing the fibres of said meat.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tapered-wall funnel having a restricted outlet, mechanism for feeding a mass of meat to the inlet end of said funnel, said funnel being provided with internal substantially longitudinally extending upper and lower series of slightly longitudinally inclined varies for imparting directional effects to the meat passing through the funnel and for crossing the fibres of said meat, and an elongated passage having an outlet portion of substantially rectangular cross section secured to said funnel to receive the meat emerging from. the outlet of the funnel.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a funnel having a restricted outlet, mechanism for feeding a mass of meat to the inlet end of said funnel, said funnel being provided with internalupper and lower series of inclined varies for imparting directional eifects to the meat passing through the funnel, and an elongated passageway having an outlet portion of substantially rectangular cross section secured to said funnel to receive the meat emerging from the outlet of the funnel, the bottom of said passageway having an extension, said extension having a slot therein for the passage of a strip of paper into position underlying the strip of moving meat. v

4. Apparatus of the character described com prising a tapered-wall funnel having a substantially circular inlet and having a substantially oval shaped outlet, and mechanism for feeding a mass of meat to the inlet of said funnel, said funnel being provided with substantially longitudinally extending upper and lower series of internal slightly longitudinally inclined vanes for imparting directional effects to the meat passing through the funnel and for crossing the fibres of said meat.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tapered-wall funnel having a substantially circular inlet and having an outlet, mechanism for feeding a mass of meat to the inlet of said funnel, said funnel being provided with substantially longitudinally extending upper and lower series of internal slightly longitudinally inclined vanes for imparting directional effects to the meat passing through the funnel and for crossing the libres of said meat, and an elongated passageway tapering to a portion of substantially rectangular cross section, said passageway bcing removably secured to said funnel to receive meat emerging from the outlet thereof.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical screw casing, a feed screw rotatably mounted in said casing, an extruding funnel removably secured to the end of said screw casing, a housing secured to said funnel and providing a passageway having an outlet portion of substantially rectangular cross section, said funnel being provided with an outlet leading into said passageway, and a downwardly curved chute removably secured to the end of said passageway to form a prolongation of the iioor thereof.

'7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical screw casing, a feed screw rotatably mounted in said casing, an extruding funnel removably secured to the end of said screw casing, a housing secured to said funnel and providing a passageway having an outlet portion of substantially rectangular cross section, said funnel being provided with an outlet leading into said passageway, a delivery chute removably secured to the end of said passageway to receive the strip of material emerging from said passageway, and means for feeding strip material onto the surface of said chute to underlie the matter emerging from said passageway.

FELIX H. LOUISOT. CHARLES J. MULLER. 

